by Whitney
First, I’ll give credit where it’s due:
The author of redcurrent.com gave a clear tutorial for how to make these pants, and the author of tinyhappy displayed inspiring before and after pictures of her tshirts made into pants.
Now, let’s celebrate my success, people. I took this long-sleeved t-shirt belonging to Ryan, and while Julian was asleep, I cut the two required pieces to make pants. About 5 minutes. It’s just a left leg and a right leg. Then, I sewed them together. Now ten minutes have passed. The kid was still sleeping! Then, Heather and Holden came over. Julian woke up, and while the boys wreaked havoc in my bedroom, tossing plastic shovels, cotton balls and Cheerios this way and that, Heather made 75% of a pair of lounge pants for Holden while I coached her and wrangled her baby. Sure, he had to sit in the Pack and Play for a few minutes, but we had a good time. Later that night, I sewed my elastic waist in. The whole project was about 40 minutes. The full tutorial is here.
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by Whitney
There are a couple things about milkshakes that Julian really likes. Drinking with a straw is one of them. Watching me make it is the other part. What I like about shakes is that he’s getting milk and the magic superfood blueberries at the same time. Bonus that none of it goes on the floor because he’s so captivated by the straw experience.
The key to my milkshake is the Kitchenaid stick mixer, also known as an immersion blender. This takes two seconds to clean and there is no set up. This is a helpful tool for all baby food making. Ok, I lied, the other key to my milkshake is frozen organic strawberries. Buy them. It helps to have something frozen in your shake to give it a little froth. For those who think ahead, you could keep banana in the freezer. Just make sure to peel it before you store it.
How to make the shake: Put about 10 frozen strawberries, a cup of milk, a handful of blueberries and a banana into a plastic container. Blend. Pour into child-friendly cup and add a straw. Add a second straw for extra fun.
by Heather
Keep your Pottery Barn Kids table and chairs pristine by visiting MOCHA for your artistic messes and creative exploration.
The Oakland Museum of Children’s Art, MOCHA, is free for gallery visits and has an awesome Drop-In Art Studio for kids between ages 18 months and 5 years for only $5. See the website for hours and location.
My friend, and mom of 2, Lori reports:
I’ve overheard more than one mom commenting that this is “all the stuff I’d like to have at home but am afraid of the clean up.” A number of art activity tables, sinks with beans for scooping, a painting wall, and a play house complete with kitchen.
Fun, stimulating and a lot of variety perfect for a toddler’s short attention span and a great deal for $5. It’s a small art space, but because MOCHA has windows, it’s not as claustrophobic as Habitot. The courtyard just outside is also a good place to run around and chase new-found friends.
Best to avoid on the weekends or on days when a lot of preschoolers are out of school.
Stop by Cafe 817 around the corner on Washington street for coffee and a take out sandwich for mom.
by Heather
If you still have that yoga ball around (and you’re not currently using it for ab work), get it out to thrill and delight your baby. We kept ours in Holden’s room for about 22 months — until his new brother was born and the room just got too crowded.
Each morning, he found some new way to explore it. Try one of our home-tested ideas or come up with more of your own:
- Pepper likes rolling around on her tummy on top of the ball. Her mom, Jeanine, supplies the balance.
- Holden [pictured] really likes sitting next to it and pushing on it. When it gets far enough away… it rolls back and he is amazed.
- Julian loves standing next to it while Whitney dribbles it by smacking her hands on top of it. Whoa.
